Thanksgiving is often a time to gather with family and friends. But when a loved one is receiving hospice care, preparing a traditional holiday meal can feel like one more challenge during an already difficult time.                                 

For more than 25 years, Spartanburg Regional Hospice, in partnership with the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, has helped make the holiday a little easier by providing Thanksgiving meals to hospice patients and their families. 

The meals are made possible through donations to the Foundation and prepared by Cribbs Catering. A $75 donation provides a Thanksgiving meal for a family of 10 to 12 people, helping ease the burden of holiday meal preparation during a challenging season. 

Through the Hospice Thanksgiving Meals program, families can spend less time in the kitchen and more time focused on what matters most— being together and making the most of precious time with loved ones. 

Last year, volunteers delivered 200 meals across four Upstate counties, while families at the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home were served a hot Thanksgiving lunch. 

For Shelly Sinclair, senior director of philanthropy with the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, the campaign is an example of how philanthropy can have an immediate and deeply personal impact on local families. 

“When a family is caring for someone they love at the end of life, even something as simple as sharing a Thanksgiving meal can become incredibly meaningful," Sinclair said. "The generosity of our donors gives these families the opportunity to put aside some of the responsibilities of the holiday and simply spend time together.” 

The program is supported not only by donors but also by volunteers who deliver meals to families the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The annual delivery has become a tradition for Spartanburg Regional associates and community volunteers alike. 

Mark Nix, director of the Hospice and Palliative Care Program, has seen firsthand what this gesture means to patients and their loved ones. 

“For our hospice families, time together is precious. Providing a Thanksgiving meal takes one responsibility off their shoulders and allows them to focus on each other," Nix said. "The meal itself is important, but what it represents — compassion, support and the knowledge that their community is thinking of them — can mean even more.” 

For families facing what may be their final holiday season together, a Thanksgiving meal offers something simple but important: a chance to gather, share a meal and make memories. 

Help provide a Thanksgiving meal 

A gift of $75 can provide a Thanksgiving meal for a hospice family of up to 12 people. While no meal can change a family's journey, it can provide comfort, ease a burden and create space for precious moments together during the holiday season. Donations support the Hospice Special Needs Fund through the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. 

Give today to help provide comfort, ease a burden, and bring a Thanksgiving meal to a hospice family this holiday season.